Thankyou thankyou thankyou for this terrific essay, not least because it recognizes the origins of this not-genre in good natured humor. Other quarters of the internet—most notably cranky old gadfly blogger Bob Lefsetz and his subscribers —got lost in the weeds of self-seriousness in their dialogue about this highly entertaining film. Incidentally, George Clinton was name checking the Doobie Brothers as far back as 1975 in the epic “Chocolate City.” And Donald Fagen’s dickish takedown of the doc’s poor producer should come as no surprise. Steely Dan’s music is unforgettably composed, ingeniously crafted and, you know, dickish.
What a pleasure it is to read your postings! Yacht Rock was not part of my sphere of interest (I recognize only a few of the many songs that yourefer to!) but I enjoyed reading what you had to say about the style and about the documentary.
By the way, I found a small typo:
"But Yacht Rock was no venerated scene like, say, folk in Greenwich Village or bebop on 42nd Street."
That would be 52nd St.
Thank you for your writing and your warm humanity!
Love this Michelle. Definitely want to watch the movie now.
I was 15 when “Minute by Minute” came out. I was just starting to imagine myself as a jazz musician. The straight ahead stuff was intriguing, but beyond me. But hearing this music and Aja on the radio was a different story. I wore them both out on cassette. That year also saw Patrice Rushen’s “Shout it Out” and the Crusaders “Free as the Wind” Add in “Heavy Weather” and I have to believe that ‘77 was the year I found my vocation. Helps explain why my first record as a leader, “Current Events” on Verve-Forecast, sounded more like that than the music I was playing with Betty Carter.
Another heartbreaker. Thank you for your writing, whether you're easing up on the deep insights or digging in :) Now I'm going to make my family watch the movie!
Thankyou thankyou thankyou for this terrific essay, not least because it recognizes the origins of this not-genre in good natured humor. Other quarters of the internet—most notably cranky old gadfly blogger Bob Lefsetz and his subscribers —got lost in the weeds of self-seriousness in their dialogue about this highly entertaining film. Incidentally, George Clinton was name checking the Doobie Brothers as far back as 1975 in the epic “Chocolate City.” And Donald Fagen’s dickish takedown of the doc’s poor producer should come as no surprise. Steely Dan’s music is unforgettably composed, ingeniously crafted and, you know, dickish.
This was a great introduction to your Substack, Michelle. Wonderful piece, glad I found it.
Michelle,
What a pleasure it is to read your postings! Yacht Rock was not part of my sphere of interest (I recognize only a few of the many songs that yourefer to!) but I enjoyed reading what you had to say about the style and about the documentary.
By the way, I found a small typo:
"But Yacht Rock was no venerated scene like, say, folk in Greenwich Village or bebop on 42nd Street."
That would be 52nd St.
Thank you for your writing and your warm humanity!
Love this Michelle. Definitely want to watch the movie now.
I was 15 when “Minute by Minute” came out. I was just starting to imagine myself as a jazz musician. The straight ahead stuff was intriguing, but beyond me. But hearing this music and Aja on the radio was a different story. I wore them both out on cassette. That year also saw Patrice Rushen’s “Shout it Out” and the Crusaders “Free as the Wind” Add in “Heavy Weather” and I have to believe that ‘77 was the year I found my vocation. Helps explain why my first record as a leader, “Current Events” on Verve-Forecast, sounded more like that than the music I was playing with Betty Carter.
Thanks for the Christmas gift🙌🏾🔥😎.
Another heartbreaker. Thank you for your writing, whether you're easing up on the deep insights or digging in :) Now I'm going to make my family watch the movie!
This is a great read on the Yacht Rock documentary. Thanks Michelle!